Back to Tennis
by CainaStarsong
Summary: Fuji moved to America when he was 17, leaving his love Ryoma, and 3 years later, he's happily working as a sports photographer. When he's hired, he'll run into some old friends.
1. Photography

A/N I was playing around with the idea of Fuji being a photographer...hehe

Disclaimer: Look, it's a tennis court! If i owned Prince of Tennis, Fuji would be there!

ENGLISH=normal type

JAPANESE=_italics_

* * *

Fuji looked at the crowd gathering around him, waving good-bye in a busy airport, half of them crying. "_Fujiko, I'll miss you!_" "_Fuji-sempai, I'll practice everyday for you_!" "_Waah, Fuji! Don't go_!"

He hadn't really known how popular he was until he was trying to wrestle his way out of the Seigaku regulars who had latched onto him like leeches as he tried to leave. "_Guys,_" he said mildly, "_The plane is leaving soon._"

He was leaving the tennis team, his school, his friends, and Japan for America. His whole family was going, due to a problem with his grandparents. He didn't want to go, even if he had a A in English.

He was even leaving Ryoma. Fuji had never gotten over the arrogant boy. He'd never confessed either. So as far as that relationship went...it was one-sided love.

Everyone was still screaming his name and hugging him and crying. "_Fujiko~_"

He wrenched himself out of Eiji's grasp. "_Eiji. Let go, I have to get on the plane!_"

Once he was on the plane, he allowed himself to grieve for the handsome, cocky boy that he'd spent most of middle school and high school loving. Who'd he spent all his wishes for.

* * *

Fuji smiled his way into work. He was working as a photographer for a sports magazine, and apparently he had a gift with that as well.

He'd celebrated his 20th birthday recently, and while he still played tennis, he'd stopped competing in tournaments when his high school days had ended. He played almost every day, at clubs and on the street. It reminded him or Ryoma. Other's would've have thought it was a bad thing, but Fuji liked thinking of the boy every time he picked up his racket.

"Shusuke!" His boss yelled, "I've got a job for you! You and me, we're gonna cover a major tennis tournament!"

"Tennis?" Fuji asked, smiling shakily.

"Tennis. We're covering some Japanese players. Right up your alley. This man called, he wants me to cover these Japanese players, apparently they were all on the same team in high school and middle school His names was, Iknow? Inew? I can't pronounce those Asian names..."

"Inui." Fuji said, "I have a bad feeling about this." _I wonder who it is? Ryoma probably, Tezuka would have if he tried...Taka quit after high school, right? Maybe the Golden Pair made it? Yeah, Eiji and Oishi. Inui's probably some creepy train/manager with his tea...mm, that tea is good. What about Momo? He might have made it, and Kaido too, he was captain in middle school..._

"Shusuke!"

"Mm," Fuji said, "Sorry, boss. May I see the list? I can pronunce their names for you."

The boss snorted. She was a pretty woman named Lisa, with long blonde hair in a braid and a good arm, which was noticeable as she pitched the papers at Fuji.

**U.S Open Players Covered by Sportime.**

_Singles:_

Kunimitsu Tezuka

Takeshi Momoshiro

Kaoru Kaido

Ryoma Echizen

_Doubles:_

Shuichiro Oishi & Eiji Kikumaru

"Mm," Fuji said, "Well, this'll be fun."

And now, Fuji was waiting at the airport, for the planes that would his old friends and his old love back to him.

* * *

A/N I really like the idea of Fuji being a photographer. I didn't want him as a pro tennis player, but I wanted him to take pictures of Ryoma, so now he's a sports photographer.


	2. Fujisempai

A/N I wasn't sure how to pan this out...

Disclaimer: If I owned anything...Fuji would be all mine, mwahahaaha.

ENGLISH = normal type. JAPANESE = _italics._

* * *

Fuji fiddled with his camera while Lisa checked her watch. "Ryoma's coming in on this plane, then Takeshi and Kaoru, then the doubles players, Eiji and Shuichiro, then Kunimitsu. We'll take Ryoma to the Japanese returant and meet up with everyone there."

"Echizen's coming first?"

"No, Ryoma's coming first."

"Yeah, Echizen."

"Ryoma! Ryoma's coming in first!" Lisa shouted.

"They're one and the same, boss. In Japan, you'd call him Echizen. Last names first." Fuji instructed her, slapping his white cap on his head. The Seigaku team had given it to him as a going away present, and the regulars had signed it, with Echizen's loopy signature right on the front.

"Just take some damn pictures, Shusuke!"

Fuji raised his camera, smiling. He could just barely see Ryoma's shadow through the crowd. With so many people, it was better to keep his finger on the the button at all times, as people would invariably block some shots.

And suddenly, there he was. Ryoma Echizen. Despite the 3 years or so where Fuji hadn't seen him, he looked the same.

Same green-tinted black hair, same determined hazel eyes. His haircut was the same, albeit a bit shorter, and the cap on his head, although battered and beat-up, was clearly the same on he'd worn in middle school. He was dressed simply in jeans and a blue shirt, but his wristband was still on his wrist, and he carried one bag, no doubt with his racquet's inside.

"There he is, Shusuke! Get some pictures. My, he's handsome."

He wished Lisa wasn't so loud. Ryoma had looked over, eyes narrowing at the word **_Shusuke_**. Fuji wished he hadn't worn his cap now. He always did when taking pictures; it kept this hair out of his eyes.

"Mr. Echizen, we're covering you this tournament!" Lisa waved him over, smiling. "I'm Lisa, the journalist, and this is my photographer-"

"_Fuji-sempai_." Ryoma said in Japanese, "_A photographer?_"

"_Apparently, I'm a genuis photographer as well as a tennis player._"Fuji smiled happily, taking some pictures of his love.

"Shusuke, use English." His boss demanded, "Mr. Echizen, this way." She leaded the way to the car waiting for them.

"_You let her call you Shusuke, and you never let me?_" Echizen asked, lifting both his eyebrow and his tennis bag into the car.

"_She's American. I'd have let you call me Shusuke, you just never did_." Fuji pointed out, "_What's 1+1?_" He asked, setting off and following Lisa.

"_Ne_?" Fuji snapped a picture of the smiling Ryoma. "_Fuji-sempai! Delete it!_" He howled.

"_No_," Fuji replied, "_I like to see you suffer. You're a famous tennis player, Echizen, get used to it._"

"Mr. Echizen?" Lisa asked shyly, "You called Shusuke Fuji-sempai. What does that mean?"

Echizen sighed. He couldn't be bratty to the woman who was going to write about him. Inui would make him drink Penal Tea if he was rude. "Sempai is a ending given to someone who is your senior. Like an upperclassman."

"But how did you know Shusuke is your senior? How did you even know his last name?"'

"_Ah_." Ryoma said, "_Sempai, you didn't tell her?_"

"_Not at all_." Fuji said, "_She doesn't know anything._"

"_I hate you._" Ryoma said, turning to Lisa, "Fuji-sempai and I were on the same tennis team in middle and high school."

* * *

A/N Ohhhhhhh, look. food in the next chapter? Definitely.


	3. Wasabi Rolls

A/N I wanted food. I was hungry. So they eat!

Disclaimer: Eat one of Fuji's wasabi rolls, and maybe I'll own it. Did it work? NO!

ENGLISH = normal type. JAPANESE = _italics._

* * *

"I don't believe it." Lisa said, finishing her drink at the restaurant. Fuji took a couple of quick pictures in succession while Ryoma scowled at him.

"You don't believe that I played tennis?" Fuji asked cheerfully, tossing a wasabi roll into his mouth while moving Echizen's hands away from his food. "Echizen, don't eat these. These are wasabi rolls. Remember what happened to Eiji?"

Ryoma stopped eating Fuji's food.

"No, of course I don't believe you! You're way too feminie-looking, and gentle, and you need to open your eyes to play tennis!" She screeched. Ryoma started laughing at poor Fuji, who took a quick picture.

"No, you don't." Fuji said, recalling a long ago match, "Echizen won a match with only one eye. With Shinji, remember that, Echizen? His racket hit the pole, and the shards cut his eyelid."

"Oh, wow! Really?" Lisa gasped, looking at Ryoma with admiration.

"Fuji-sempai lost his eyesight during a match and won." Ryoma said, eating his sushi calmly, trying to return the attention back to his former teammate and sempai.

"What? This was tennis, right? What kind of injuries happened while in play?" Lisa said.

"Tezuka-buchou hurt his shoulder really badly; he was out for a long time for his arm." Fuji said, eating his last wasabi roll. He looked around for some more.

"Taka hurt his arm hitting that Hadoukyuu that was aiming for you, and bruised his wrists," Ryoma recalled, "In that doubles match with you. You had to forfeit to Fudomine in the first doubles match, remember?"

"No, I'll always remember Taka for being slammed into the bleachers over and over when he trying to become the best power player against the Gin guy." Fuji smiled, "And we all went for Yakiniku, and had that contest where you had to drink Inui's concoctions and eat.."

"Gin broke his wrist during that match, right?"

"Stop it, stop, stop, stop, stop!" Lisa yelped, "All that happened while playing tennis?"

"The doctor never believed us." Ryoma muttered, "That's what you suffer through trying to win. Broken arms, bum legs, just trying to win the game."

"Another thing. Fuji, you're not aggressive at all!"

"No, I'm not," Fuji smiled, "All my main shots were counter-attacks, using the other player's shots against them, letting them slip up."

"Fuji-sempai," Ryoma spoke up, "Why don't you come to a practice later? It can't hurt any of us to play with you. You are a genius, after all."

Both Lisa and Fuji's heads swiveled to face thought there was no way Fuji could last a match with a pro tennis player, let alone any tennis player, even if he was a supposed genius. Fuji was just surprised Ryoma had admitted he was a genius.

"What?" Ryoma asked, noticing them both staring at him, "You do still play tennis, right?"

"Yes, but I stopped competing a while back. Echizen, won't you have to ask Inui?" Fuji said, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh," Ryoma said, remembering that particular person, "Yeah. Why don't you come with me when I go to meet Momo and Kaido in a few minutes? He'll be there then."

Lisa broke into their conversation. "Shusuke, it's getting too dark to take any quality pictures," she said, ignoring the fact that Fuji had a flash, "Why don't you go home?"

"Yeah, _Shusuke_," Ryoma smirked, "Go home and we'll see yo on the courts tomorrow."

Lisa frowned. It was clear that she was gunning for Ryoma's attention too, and disliked when he gave it to Fuji. A rival in love appears!

* * *

A/N I wanted a love rival, but Ryoma isn't going to get with her...maybe. chehehe. all the team members appear in the next chapter!


	4. Old Pros

A/N The tennis team is back! Except Taka...poor taka, he'll be back soon!

Someone brought to my attention that this is similar to "Return to the U.S Open," but I didn't mean it to be! I posted the first chapters without having read that fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't own. I don't own. I don't own. Get it yet? I DON'T OWN!

* * *

The phone was ringing. Which meant Fuji had to answer it. The photographer rolled out of bed, crawling on the floor to find the source of the noise. He picked up the phone, and crawled into the kitchen to get something to drink. stood up to look at the window overlooking the tennis courts below.

"_Moshimoshi_?" Fuji asked, reverting back to his native Japanese, "Mm, hello?"

"Fuji-sempai." The voice on the other end was mocking, "Or should I say Shusuke?" That's right. Fuji'd met Ryoma again. He'd hid his love for the arrogant boy well, and acted like they were only friends.

"Echizen?" Fuji smiled, opening his drink and blinking.

"Are you drinking Ponta, _Shusuke_?" Ryoma was accusing him now, "I can't find any in America!"

"Mm," Fuji said, "Ponta? Yes. How-"

"Inui wants to talk to you." There was a pause as Ryoma, presumably, handed the phone to Inui while Fuji cussed him out non-verbally..

"Fuji? The team wants you to play with them." The voice hadn't changed, it was deep and calculating.

"Inui? Any probabilities for me?" Fuji said, setting his drink on the counter and looking out the window at the tennis courts nearby.

"Yes. The probability of the team spirit being raised is 127% if you play with them."

"That much, Inui?" Fuji asked, his eyes opening in complete surprise.

"Yes. Will you play with us today?"

"Mm," Fuji said happily, "When?" His eyes closed again.

"Now, at Lunar Courts."

"Are you stalking me, Inui?" Fuji asked cheerfully.

"Why would you think that?" Inui feigned surprise.

"You asked my sports magazine to cover the team, and you choose the courts that are directly underneath my apartment." Fuji pointed out, "I can practically see you from here."

"So," Inui said, "I'm stalking you. Now get over here, the teams waiting."

* * *

Fuji actually hit his head on his closet door, he was so distracted. After changing into his tennis clothes and grabbing his racket, he opened the window and vaulted out. He was on the first floor, and it was quicker to go through the window then around through the door. He rolled down the hill to the courts.

"Hey, Max" he greeted an acquaintance he'd played with before, "Mmm, what courts are open?"

"All of them except A, it's so early." Max said, "Apparently, there are some pros practicing for a tournament over there. I'm headed there to check it out, wanna like to come?"

"Sure," Fuji agreed, eyes blinking open for a mere second.

"Shusuke, I never asked why you quit in high school." The man asked.

"Mm," Fuji said, "I don't know. I just had no drive to play. I love the game, but I didn't want to win." Fuji smiled.

"Ah?" The man said, "Oh, wow, look at the pros play!" He pointed a little bit down the hill and through the chain gate. "Shusuke? Shusuke, I don't think you should go on the court while they're playing! Shusuke!"

For Fuji had opened the chain fence, and taken a step through. All the men on the court had looked up at the words Shusuke. They still knew that name.

"_It's Fujiko_!" Eiji screeched, dropping the tennis ball he was holding, and tossing his racket at Oishi, who caught it in suprise. Eiji ran towards Fuji, knocking him over, and Fuji founds himself on the ground with his old friend on top of him.

Blue eyes sparkling 6 inches from his own, a band-aid under the right eye, burgundy hair in the same style. He hadn't changed much. "_Fujiko_~!" Eiji yelled over and over, "_I missed you so much._"

Oishi placed both rackets on the ground, and headed over to Fuji and Eiji. Momo stopped trying to pulverize Kaido and both walked over as well. Tezuka meandered over, and Ryoma came in from the back, everyone collaborating around the genius who'd left.

"Shusuke?" Max asked, clearly confused, "You know these people?"

"Sure," Fuji agreed, hugging Momo, "We were on the same tennis team in middle school and high school."

"You played with pros?"

"They weren't pros then." Fuji said, "In fact, back then, I was even better than some of them." He smiled at the chorus of protests.

"Who are you?" Ryoma asked Max bluntly.

"Ah?" Max asked, "Oh, sorry. I'm a friend of Shusuke's."

"_Shusuke? Fuji-sempai, are you Shusuke now_?" Momo asked in Japanese. He'd never been the greatest in English. Oishi, Tezuka, Fuji, and Ryoma had been excellent in English, Eiji had been alright along with Inui, but Momo and Kaido had never quite gotten their head around it.

"_It's America!_" Fuji said, "_A-M-E-R-I-C-A._"

"_Oh, Fujiko_!" Eiji yelled, "_That's why Ochibi's mocking you by calling you that!_"

"_Eiji_," Ryoma said, annoyed, "_I'm just as tall as you are!_"

"_But you'll always be Ochibi_!"

Fuji laughed. "_It's good to see you all again_."

"_What happened when you left Japan?_" Oishi asked, "_Echizen said you became a photographer! Did you really?_"

_"Mmm_," Fuji said, "_I did, as a matter of fact. I'm a sports photographer for a magazine. My boss is covering you guys in this tournament._"

"_What_?" Momo yelped, "_You're covering us_?"

"_No_." Fuji smiled, "_I'm photographing you!_"

"_Dammit_." Kaido hissed, "_Stupid Fuji, quiting tennis!_"

"_I still play every day._" Fuji said, not at all insulted_, "You guys haven't changed at all!_" Everyone looked and acted almost exctly the same way they had during middle and high school.

"_Let's take a break_." Tezuka finally spoke as the chattering males refused to play tennis anymore.

* * *

A/N Fuji and his tennis team! hahahaahaha. I made them all the same because it would be wrong if i changed them! and haha, the love rivals not here. i'm thinking about making her quit soon, so she can pursue Ryoma without the whole work problem, hehe.


	5. Catching Up

A/N do they have GED's in Japan? Who knows, i was too lazy to figure it out. if it's wrong, oops.

A/N It took me a while to get this one up, i think? Longer than normal, at least.

Disclaimer: i own nothing. promise.

* * *

"_So_," Oishi asked, "_You just stopped playing?_"

"_No_," Fuji said, "_I stopped competing when high school ended_."

"_Fujiko! How long have you been a photographer?_" Eiji said, crowding Fuji in his excitement.

"_I started photographing as a profession almost 3 years ago._"

"_Hold on, wait a second here. Wouldn't you have still been in school?_" Momo wondered, "_How did you manage both school, tennis, and a photograhy job_?"

"_Mmm_," Fuji smiled, "_A few months after I moved here, I got my GED._"

"_GED_?" Kaido asked.

"_It's when-_" Fuji started only to be interrupted by Inui.

"_A GED is the equivalent of a high school diploma without attending high school. Taken as a personal test, and usualy rather hard._" Inui said, straightening his glasses.

"_So, your boss is coming to cover us soon_?" Kaido asked.

"_What_?" Ryoma interjected anxiously, "_When_?"

"_She's coming,_" Fuji glanced at his watch, "_at 1:00._"

"_Inui, can I leave practice before 1:00?_" Ryoma begged, "_That lady freaks me out._"

"_She admires you._" Fuji said.

"_Who cares? Getting so worked up over tennis injuries._" Ryoma muttered, "_Thanks for bringing that up, by the way._" He said sarcastically.

"_Would you rather I told her you played your game with Seiichi Yukimura, the child of god, __with no sense of touch, sight, and hearing, and still won?_"

"_How about I tell her you can make up new counters during a game?_" Ryoma said.

"_She'd still admire you more, because she knows almost nothing about tennis._" Fuji laughed, "So, I win this round, Echizen."

"_Does this boss lady speak Japanese?_" Mom interrupted worriedly, "_Cause I'm not too good with English._"

"_She doesn't speak Japanese, which is handy for speaking secretly and - oh, shit, she's right over there! Why is she here early?_" Ryoma panicked, "_Momo! Hide me_!"

"_No way_!" Momo said, pulling the reluctant tennis player out from behind him. "_Get away. Oishi, will you translate for me?_"

"_Why me?_"

"_I don't trust Echizen, Eiji, or Fuji to translate correctly._"

"_...Alright, then. If you want me to. Stop hiding, Echizen._" Oishi ordered, playing his role as the mother of Seigaku.

"_No_."

"_Echizen, will you stop hiding if I give you a Ponta?" _Fuji coaxed, _"It's nice and cold, too._"

Ryoma's eyes lit up. "_You have Ponta._" He said, running over to Fuji happily. Ryoma might have been a pro tennis player, but he was still a teenager, after all.

"_I have Ponta readily available for you if you stop hiding, and say hello to Lisa. She's coming over, now or never!_" Fuji warned.

"I hate you." Ryoma muttered, pulling his cap down as he turned to face the boss. "Hello, Lisa."

* * *

A/N I wasn't sure how to end this at all...


	6. Feelings

A/N Sorry, this took a while, I know.

Disclaimer: I NO 

* * *

Lisa was surprised to see Fuji already at the courts, sitting and surrounded by some pro members. "Shusuke?"

Momo laughed. "_I__ get it now, Fuji. America. Does this mean people will call me Takeshi? I like Momo better though..._"

"_Nya, they probably will,_" Eiji called, "_Takeshi!_" He stuck his tongue out.

"_Eiji! Shut up, I hate you!_" Momo yelled, hurling a tennis ball at the other man.

Fuji stood gracefully, and walked over to his boss. "Told you I knew them."

"Still don't believe you. Oh, Ryoma!" She turned to the tennis player. "Is it alright I came early?" She asked, making a puppy face.

"It's fine..." Ryoma said. "You met most of these guys, except for Inui and Tezuka."

"Nice to meet you both." Lisa said, smiling widely. "Can I start the interviews now?"

"That'll be fine," Tezuka said, "Oishi, your racket head's a bit too low on that shot, you're missing the sweet spot!"

"I'll start with you, Ryoma!" Lisa smiled cheerily. "Let's go over here..."

Fuji watched them walk to the bench until Eiji grabbed Fuji's hand and pulled him along happily. "Lets go get something to drink, Fujiko!"

* * *

Eiji pushed the button for a bottled water. "What do you want, Fujiko?" He pointed to the drink machine excitedly, "Water?"

"Water is fine, Eiji." Fuji said, jamming the button into the machine and retrieving the two drinks that had fallen. "Here."

Eiji lead the way to a bench, twisting the cap of his water. "Do you still love Ryoma?"

That was unexpected. Fuji thought wryly. "Well-"

"You better not lie to me! I know you still like him! You might be acting like you don't, but I know you do! Even after 3 years, i can tell, you treat him slightly differently then the rest of us! I don't think anyone's noticed."

"Unfortunately, I still love him." Fuji said, sipping his soda.

"You should tell him." Eiji said, leaning back.

"What good would that do? If I confessed, he'd reject me and even my memory of seeing you guys again would be ruined. It's better to wait until the tournament ends, and then I'll never see him again."

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Eiji repeated the word several times over. "Think positive! What if he likes you back?" He said, "You should at least try!"

* * *

"Ochibi!" Eiji yelled, "Come over here!"

Ryoma finished his water. Fuji, at the moment, was getting his camera as Lisa had instructed him. Picture time had and his water bottle traveled over to Eiji, who simply pulled at Ryoma's arm. "Come on."

"Eiji-sempai, where are we going?" Ryoma asked, being dragged along.

"Nowhere in particular, I just want to talk to you."

Unlike Fuji, Ryoma knew what Eiji was talking about. They had been friends for a long time, and even after school, they'd worked together. "I'm not gonna confess to Fuji-sempai, Eiji."

"Why not?"

"I'm sure he doesn't like me."

_He does! _Eiji wanted to shout. He was sincerely wondering whether or not to just tell Ryoma that Fuji loved him to, just so they could finally get together, but what if Fuji hated him for that?

He decided he'd rather be hated then watch these two pine for each other.

"I promise, Fuji likes you!" He blurted out.

"What?" Ryoma asked in disbelief.

"I talk to him earlier, and he still loves you! Since middle school! I have no idea why, but he loves you and you loves him, and he's not gonna confess. Ever. So it's up to you!"

"How do I know oyur not kidding me?"

"I wouldn't joke about this, Ochibi." Eiji said seriously, "You need to get together. Please, tell him your feelings."

* * *

A/N I kinda liked this chapter. A lot. What do you think, should Ryoma confess to Fuji, or vice versa?


	7. First Names

A/N I got reviews telling me that Ryoma should confess or they should confess together. Not one person wanted Fuji to confess!

Disclaimer: I wish, but I don't.

* * *

Fuji took his time getting his FujiFilm camera, which he'd bought not only because he liked the model, but because it was ironic as well. He also made sure to grab a few Pontas for Ryoma, since he had, after all, promised.

He hung his camera from his neck, and this time went out the door, since his hands were full.

"Echizen!" He called when he was a few meters away from the boy, "Catch." He tossed the bottle end over end at the boy, who caught it.

Ryoma grabbed the bottle and smiled happily. "Thanks...Fuji-sempai."

"What, no Shusuke?" Fuji asked as the other tennis player opened the can, "And here I was expecting it."

"It's rude," Ryoma said slowly, "And there's no respect for you."

"...I don't really mind." Fuji said, looking down shyly, remembering Eiji's words.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive." Ryoma opened his mouth to say more, but Fuji cut him off. "I'm 100 percent, completely, utterly extremely sure that I don't mind!" He said.

Ryoma glanced at his now empty Ponta can. "Well, alright." He said slowly, before looking at Fuji. Eiji words rang in his head.

_"I promise, Fuji likes you! I talked to him earlier, and he still loves you! Since middle school! I have no idea why, but he loves you and you loves him, and he's not gonna confess. Ever. So it's up to you!"_

Ryoma leaned back and hit his head against the fence. "Right." He said to himself, "Right"

"Right what?" asked Fuji, lifting his camera and snapping a picture of the tennis courts. Eiji and Oishi were playing together, with Inui on the other side, feeding them balls.

"I was thinking about Ponta." Ryoma lied, looking over at his empty can.

"Here, you can have mine." Fuji said, "It's almost full." He passed over the bright can, and caught a picture of Ryoma smiling as he drank his drink.

"Hey!" Ryoma said, caught off gaurd. "Delete it, Shusuke! Please!"

"No, you look cute." Fuji murmured, fiddling with the camera so that even if Ryoma got her, he could delete it. A lock of sorts.

That comment was just barely heard by Ryoma. "What?" He said, making sure. He was not going to bet his love on a comment that might not have been said, after all.

"I said, you look cute in this picture, as you always do." Fuji said, "And the lighting was really great-Echizen?"Ryoma had paled slightly. Maybe he wouldn't bet his love and that comment, but it had certainly raised his morale. Fuji leaned over. "Echizen?" he asked again, putting his forehead on the other boys to feel his temperature.

That, however, startled Ryoma out of his daze. "Waah!" He yelped, leaning back and falling off the other end of the bench. "Ow!"

Fuji helped him up, suppressing his laughter. "Are you alright, Echizen?" He asked, looking at the blushing boy.

"Since I can call you Shusuke, you can call me Ryoma." Ryoma said hesitantly, rubbing his head. He really wanted Fuji to call him Ryoma. Really, really, really wanted that.

"Okay," Fuji said. He had no qualms about that, for sure. He had dreamed of this day, a day when he could call the arrogant boy Ryoma. Sure, they weren't lovers but it was a start.

"Shusuke?" Ryoma asked.

"What?"

"I love you."

* * *

A/N One more chapter, maybe two, but probably one...


	8. Finally

A/N I just realized...I use Fuji's last name, but Ryoma's first name. I just prefer it that way!

Disclaimer: Caution: This manga/anime is not owned by Caina any way.

* * *

This was unbelievable. Inconceviable. Impossible. Improbable.

Yet here Ryoma was, saying three words that Fuji had longed to hear for years. Thousands of thoughts rushed through his head, but waht came out of his mouth was a very confused, "You...love me?" As if he'd heard it wrong.

Ryoma flushed an impressive shade of red. "Well, um, I..." he stammered, "Sorta...but- I get it...you--like me, you don't-"

"Ryoma-" Fuji started. He had to set this right.

"No," Ryoma inturupted, "I...I'll go now...sorry, I don't know...what i was, uh, thinking." He was turning purple.

"Ryo-"

Again, the other interrupted. "God...sorry," he said, turning his back on the man he'd just confessed to, feeling ready to cry. "Sorry...I know you don't like me like that..." he whispred again.

"I haven't said anything!" Fuji said, reaching for Ryoma's arm, and spinning him around, "Ryoma," he said, "I love you too."

Now it was Ryoma's turned to act shocked. "What?"

"You heard me, Ryoma." Fuji said, "I love you."

"But, you were so confused before-"

"I didn't think I you loved me back."

"I do."

"I know you do."

The two stood smiling like idiots at each other for a few minutes.

"Oh, my God!" Eiji yelled, jumping out from behind the bushes - he'd been hiding and watching the whole thing - "This is killing me! Just kiss him already!"

Ryoma was startled, but Fuji touched Ryoma's cheek, leaned down, and planted his lips right on Ryoma's. The kiss was pretty great, but it took so long to earn that it it was even more so amazing.

Ryoma liked that alot.

"Finally,! Eiji said, running off to spread the news, "Bye, Fujiko! Bye, Ochibi!"

"I'm taller than you!"

"Nya!" Eiji yelled, "Oishi, listen to this, listen, Fuji and Ryoma-" his voice faded.

"I don't suppose you wanted to keep this a secret?" Fuji said, joking.

"Never," Ryoma said happily, "I loved you for so long, it would be just as bad to love you secretly." He wrapped his arms around Fuji's neck. "Shusuke, I love you."

Fuji smiled, pulling his lover close. "I think we've covered that," he murmured, "But I love you too."

~~END~~

* * *

A/N Well, what did you guys think? I'm wasn't sure what to do with the ending, but I ended up liking it~

Oh, my fucking god. I FORGOT POOR TAKA! this whole story, and I never made him re appear, though I planned to.


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